A Chinese citizen journalist who vanished three years ago while covering the Wuhan coronavirus lockdown and was eventually identified as being in custody by the government has been freed.&nbsp;Several media reports that were based on people close to his family say that Fang Bin was released from custody on Sunday (April 30).&nbsp;According to the sources who spoke to The Guardian,&nbsp;he visited Beijing, where several members of his family reside, before returning&nbsp;to Wuhan on Monday morning, where he is still being closely watched.

As per&nbsp;a Chinese human rights watchdog, Fang was being shuttled back and forth between Beijing and Wuhan because neither city wanted to take responsibility for him.

<h2>Everything about&nbsp;Fang Bin</h2>

Fang was one of several Chinese citizens to come under the radar of authorities for discussing the events of the first significant COVID-19 breakout and shutdown in public. In February 2020, he and his friend Chen Qiushi, a fellow citizen journalist, vanished from Wuhan.

In a video that was live-streamed on his friend's YouTube page in September 2021, Chen made a comeback and said that he had been depressed. He gave no information on his absence, reported The Guardian.

Confusing and secretive reports about Fang's whereabouts made it unclear whether he was being held in custody, living with his parents under supervision, or being watched at a specific location. In China, this type of covert detention entitles authorities to keep a person for up to six months without bringing charges against them. According to reports,&nbsp;his family was afraid to talk.

In a report published on Sunday, the Associated Press cited a source who said Fang had received a three-year prison term for "picking fights and causing trouble," a general allegation frequently levelled against political dissidents. According to Radio Free Asia, he completed his prison term at a facility in Jiangxia, a district of Wuhan.

For her reporting from Wuhan in December 2020, former attorney turned journalist Zhang Zhan received a four-year prison term on the same accusation. Soon after her detention, Zhang went on a hunger strike, and since then, her supporters have regularly voiced grave worries for her wellbeing.

Zhang's former attorney claimed to The Guardian in 2021 that the Chinese government had issued Zhang's sentence as a "warning" and that she was being punished severely for her activities. 
 
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A Chinese citizen journalist who vanished three years ago while covering the Wuhan coronavirus lockdown and was eventually identified as being in custody by the government has been freed.

A Chinese citizen journalist who vanished three years ago while covering the Wuhan coronavirus lockdown and was eventually identified as being in custody by the government has been freed. Several media reports that were based on people close to his family say that Fang Bin was released from custody on Sunday (April 30). According to the sources who spoke to The Guardian, he visited Beijing, where several members of his family reside, before returning to Wuhan on Monday morning, where he is still being closely watched. As per a Chinese human rights watchdog, Fang was being shuttled back and forth between Beijing and Wuhan because neither city wanted to take responsibility for him. Everything about Fang Bin Fang was one of several Chinese citizens to come under the radar of authorities for discussing the events of the first significant COVID-19 breakout and shutdown in public. In February 2020, he and his friend Chen Qiushi, a fellow citizen journalist, vanished from Wuhan. In a video that was live-streamed on his friend's YouTube page in September 2021, Chen made a comeback and said that he had been depressed. He gave no information on his absence, reported The Guardian. Confusing and secretive reports about Fang's whereabouts made it unclear whether he was being held in custody, living with his parents under supervision, or being watched at a specific location. In China, this type of covert detention entitles authorities to keep a person for up to six months without bringing charges against them. According to reports, his family was afraid to talk. In a report published on Sunday, the Associated Press cited a source who said Fang had received a three-year prison term for "picking fights and causing trouble," a general allegation frequently levelled against political dissidents. According to Radio Free Asia, he completed his prison term at a facility in Jiangxia, a district of Wuhan. For her reporting from Wuhan in December 2020, former attorney turned journalist Zhang Zhan received a four-year prison term on the same accusation. Soon after her detention, Zhang went on a hunger strike, and since then, her supporters have regularly voiced grave worries for her wellbeing. Zhang's former attorney claimed to The Guardian in 2021 that the Chinese government had issued Zhang's sentence as a "warning" and that she was being punished severely for her activities. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Who is Fang Bin? China’s Covid whistleblower reportedly freed from detention after three years

A Chinese citizen journalist who posted videos about the coronavirus situation in the city of Wuhan has resurfaced after going missing for almost two months, saying in a YouTube video that he had been forcibly quarantined.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-agents-fuelled-panic-in-us-by-spreading-fake-warnings-says-report-294154">Also read: Chinese agents fuelled panic in US by spreading fake warnings, says report</a>

Li Zehua, 25, was one of three citizen journalists who went missing in Wuhan.

A video he published on Feb. 20 showed temporary porters being hired to transport corpses of people who apparently died of the coronavirus. It was viewed 850,000 times on YouTube, which is blocked in China.

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Days later, he posted live video footage of the police coming to his home. He was then not heard of until his new video was posted on Wednesday.

The other two citizen journalists, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin, who according to media reports posted footages of overwhelmed hospitals and corpses piled in a minibus, have not resurfaced publicly.

Chen`s mother said earlier he was missing while Fang also posted a video of the police knocking on his door.

Chinese authorities made no public comment on any of the three.

US Congressman Jim Banks called on March 31 on the US State Department to urge China to investigate the disappearance of the three.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying dismissed Banks` call at the time, saying it was "totally based on trumped-up messages and information".

Li, in his new video posted on Wednesday, said police took him from his apartment in Wuhan on Feb. 26 and questioned him at a police station on suspicion of disrupting public order.

He said that after nearly 24 hours, the police station chief told him he would not be charged but must undergo quarantine because he had been to high-risk areas, such as a crematorium.

Li said he was quarantined in a hotel until March 14, and then escorted to his hometown, where he was quarantined for another 14 days. He said police had required that he give his electronic devices to a friend while he was in quarantine.

It is not clear why Li chose to post the new video recounting his experience, which he said was made on April 16, three weeks after his last quarantine ended.

Li did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Wuhan police could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

In the YouTube video recorded in late February, moments before Li opened the door to let police in, the former state television employee spoke about his ambition to speak up on behalf of the people.

He also lamented what he said was a dearth of idealism among young people and used a euphemism to refer to student protests that led to a crackdown in Beijing`s Tiananmen Square in 1989, a taboo subject for China`s ruling Communist Party.

A Chinese citizen journalist who posted videos about the coronavirus situation in the city of Wuhan has resurfaced after going missing for almost two months, saying in a YouTube video that he had been forcibly quarantined.

A Chinese citizen journalist who posted videos about the coronavirus situation in the city of Wuhan has resurfaced after going missing for almost two months, saying in a YouTube video that he had been forcibly quarantined. Also read: Chinese agents fuelled panic in US by spreading fake warnings, says report Li Zehua, 25, was one of three citizen journalists who went missing in Wuhan. A video he published on Feb. 20 showed temporary porters being hired to transport corpses of people who apparently died of the coronavirus. It was viewed 850,000 times on YouTube, which is blocked in China. Days later, he posted live video footage of the police coming to his home. He was then not heard of until his new video was posted on Wednesday. The other two citizen journalists, Chen Qiushi and Fang Bin, who according to media reports posted footages of overwhelmed hospitals and corpses piled in a minibus, have not resurfaced publicly. Chen`s mother said earlier he was missing while Fang also posted a video of the police knocking on his door. Chinese authorities made no public comment on any of the three. US Congressman Jim Banks called on March 31 on the US State Department to urge China to investigate the disappearance of the three. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying dismissed Banks` call at the time, saying it was "totally based on trumped-up messages and information". Li, in his new video posted on Wednesday, said police took him from his apartment in Wuhan on Feb. 26 and questioned him at a police station on suspicion of disrupting public order. He said that after nearly 24 hours, the police station chief told him he would not be charged but must undergo quarantine because he had been to high-risk areas, such as a crematorium. Li said he was quarantined in a hotel until March 14, and then escorted to his hometown, where he was quarantined for another 14 days. He said police had required that he give his electronic devices to a friend while he was in quarantine. It is not clear why Li chose to post the new video recounting his experience, which he said was made on April 16, three weeks after his last quarantine ended. Li did not immediately respond to a request for comment and Wuhan police could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday. In the YouTube video recorded in late February, moments before Li opened the door to let police in, the former state television employee spoke about his ambition to speak up on behalf of the people. He also lamented what he said was a dearth of idealism among young people and used a euphemism to refer to student protests that led to a crackdown in Beijing`s Tiananmen Square in 1989, a taboo subject for China`s ruling Communist Party.

Chinese citizen journalist Li Zehua resurfaces after going missing in Wuhan

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Who is Fang Bin? China’s Covid whistleblower reportedly freed from detention after three years

Chinese citizen journalist Li Zehua resurfaces after going missing in Wuhan